Key Votes

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Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

For more information about the legislative process, see here.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Oct. 29, 2019 IL SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 40)
Oct. 29, 2019 IL SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 40)
Oct. 2, 2019 OH HB 123 Requires Annual Suicide Prevention Classes for Public Middle and High Schools Bill Passed - House (85 - 7)
Sept. 24, 2019 MI HB 4236 Establishes a Higher Education Budget for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51)
Sept. 14, 2019 CA SB 328 Requires Later Start Times for Middle and High Schools Bill Passed - House (44 - 20)
Aug. 26, 2019 CA SB 223 Authorizes Medical Cannabis on K-12 Campuses Bill Passed - House (43 - 22)
July 22, 2019 KY HB 1 Establishes a State of Emergency for the Kentucky Employees Retirement System Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
June 28, 2019 PA HB 1615 Expands Tax Credit Education Scholarships Concurrence Vote Passed - House (160 - 39)
June 27, 2019 NJ S 692 Prohibits the Department of Education from Establishing Maximum Salaries for Superintendents Bill Passed - House (48 - 21)
June 27, 2019 NJ S 692 Prohibits the Department of Education from Establishing Maximum Salaries for Superintendents Bill Passed - House (48 - 21)
June 27, 2019 PA SB 621 Authorizes Schools to Arm Security Guards Bill Passed - House (116 - 83)
June 20, 2019 DE HB 79 Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water Bill Passed - House (28 - 11)
June 20, 2019 NY A 6787 Prohibits Use of Biometric Identifying Technology in Schools Bill Passed - House (128 - 19)
June 19, 2019 WV HB 206 Authorizes the Creation of Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (51 - 47)
June 18, 2019 WI AB 110 Requires State Published Dyslexia Guidebooks in Public Schools Bill Passed - House (76 - 21)
June 13, 2019 ME LD 799 Establishes the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program Bill Passed - House (95 - 46)
June 13, 2019 ME LD 1820 Amends School Investigation Regulations Bill Passed - House (91 - 50)
June 13, 2019 ME LD 1820 Amends School Investigation Regulations Bill Passed - House (91 - 50)
June 5, 2019 NH SB 263 Prohibits Discrimination in Public Schools "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (211 - 141)
June 5, 2019 NH SB 263 Prohibits Discrimination in Public Schools "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (211 - 141)
June 4, 2019 OR SB 731 Authorizes College and University Student Governments to Take Positions on Initiatives and Ballot Measures Bill Passed - House (42 - 13)
June 3, 2019 ME LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (87 - 51)
May 31, 2019 AL SB 397 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create Governor-Appointed Board of Education Bill Passed - House (78 - 21)
May 30, 2019 IL HB 3606 Authorizes Parental Privacy Rights for Student Data Collection Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 22)
May 30, 2019 ME LD 1050 Requires Education About African American History and the History of Genocide "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (87 - 54)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/29 SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 40)
10/29 SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 40)
10/02 HB 123 Requires Annual Suicide Prevention Classes for Public Middle and High Schools Bill Passed - House (85 - 7)
9/24 HB 4236 Establishes a Higher Education Budget for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51)
9/14 SB 328 Requires Later Start Times for Middle and High Schools Bill Passed - House (44 - 20)
8/26 SB 223 Authorizes Medical Cannabis on K-12 Campuses Bill Passed - House (43 - 22)
7/22 HB 1 Establishes a State of Emergency for the Kentucky Employees Retirement System Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
6/28 HB 1615 Expands Tax Credit Education Scholarships Concurrence Vote Passed - House (160 - 39)
6/27 S 692 Prohibits the Department of Education from Establishing Maximum Salaries for Superintendents Bill Passed - House (48 - 21)
6/27 S 692 Prohibits the Department of Education from Establishing Maximum Salaries for Superintendents Bill Passed - House (48 - 21)
6/27 SB 621 Authorizes Schools to Arm Security Guards Bill Passed - House (116 - 83)
6/20 HB 79 Requires Beverages Included in Kids' Meals to be Milk or Water Bill Passed - House (28 - 11)
6/20 A 6787 Prohibits Use of Biometric Identifying Technology in Schools Bill Passed - House (128 - 19)
6/19 HB 206 Authorizes the Creation of Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (51 - 47)
6/18 AB 110 Requires State Published Dyslexia Guidebooks in Public Schools Bill Passed - House (76 - 21)
6/13 LD 799 Establishes the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program Bill Passed - House (95 - 46)
6/13 LD 1820 Amends School Investigation Regulations Bill Passed - House (91 - 50)
6/13 LD 1820 Amends School Investigation Regulations Bill Passed - House (91 - 50)
6/05 SB 263 Prohibits Discrimination in Public Schools "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (211 - 141)
6/05 SB 263 Prohibits Discrimination in Public Schools "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (211 - 141)
6/04 SB 731 Authorizes College and University Student Governments to Take Positions on Initiatives and Ballot Measures Bill Passed - House (42 - 13)
6/03 LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (87 - 51)
5/31 SB 397 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create Governor-Appointed Board of Education Bill Passed - House (78 - 21)
5/30 HB 3606 Authorizes Parental Privacy Rights for Student Data Collection Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 22)
5/30 LD 1050 Requires Education About African American History and the History of Genocide "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (87 - 54)

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